Incorporation Of 2 Biodiesel Into Conventional Fuel example essay topic

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel that can be produced from completely renewable American resources. Biodiesel is not only renewable it is also less polluting than regular petroleum diesel. In fact if there would ever be a biodiesel spill it would degrade about the same as sugar. It is the only alternative diesel fuel that as completed an emissions and health test from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It has had successful documentation on 30 million road miles. Biodiesel is made through transesterification of methanol and soybean oil, it can also be made from ethanol and any sort of vegetable oil.

It can even be made from used vegetable oil from McDonalds. The only thing that's needed to make biodiesel besides methanol and oil is heat and a catalyst such as hydroxide or lye. The products will be biodiesel and glycerin. The glycerin can be used to heat your house or sold to the pharmaceutical or cosmetic industries. Also the energy balance of biodiesel is superb. For every one unit of energy used to make biodiesel 3.24 units of energy are gained.

When the biodiesel is made it can be mixed in any ratio to petrodiesel. Biodiesel is recognized as one of the safest fuels. It has a flashpoint of 300 degrees F, which is roughly twice that of regular diesel. Research has been done on the affect of biodiesel on marine life and proved to be relatively safe. In fact Cyto Culture found the LC 50 for larval test fish exposed to biodiesel to be 578 ppm compared to regular petrodiesel's LC 50 of 27 ppm. In larval shrimp the LC 50 for biodiesel was 122 ppm while petrodiesel was a mere 2.9 ppm.

The reason there is even a remote toxicity to the larval is not due to the chemical but the solubility properties of the methyl-esters. They also found the biodegradation half-life of biodiesel in agitated water to be less than 4 days at 17 C, while petrodiesel was nearly twice that. In fact a vegetable oil methyl ester compound has been licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game as a shoreline-cleaning agent to clean shorelines after a crude oil spill. The reason biodiesel degrades so well, with petro or alone, is because it is a straight carbon chain with two oxygen at one end and can be metabolized easily by hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria. However the Clean Water Act of 1997 declares that vegetable oil base fuels fall under the same toxicity as regular petrodiesel and thus the same cost prohibiting factors must be made to transport over water.

The effects on the engine do to the biodiesel are limited. It can be poured into any diesel engine with no modifications. People who use biodiesel in their personal vehicles say it makes the engine run quieter and with less vibration and noxious odor. Southwest Research Institute actually reported that biodiesel has substantially better lubricant value than regular petrodiesel. Also a study conducted by Exxon with a 20% blend of biodiesel showed over a 50% decrease in engine wear. The University of Idaho did a similar test on a 5.9 L Cummins engine.

After running the truck on 28% biodiesel for 100,000 miles they took it apart and found an "absence of wear". In regards to the lubricant value Stanadyne one of the worlds largest diesel fuel injection companies reports, "Incorporation of 2% biodiesel into conventional fuel will eliminate the concerns we have with fuel lubricity."Since biodiesel is a fuel, and not just an additive, incorporation of 2% biodiesel insures adequate fuel lubricity while eliminating over-dosing concerns with other additives". The horsepower however was not so successful. A 16,000 mile Dynamometer test on the U of I truck ran on B 100 had a 30% decrease in opacity and a 7.8% reduction in horsepower. The fuel efficiency of biodiesel fuel is very comparable to petrodiesel. In 1994, the University of Idaho drove a 1994 Dodge 2500 pickup 8,700 miles and registered an average of 18.7 miles per gallon.

Another such test was conducted in Tennessee on a Volvo marine engine with B 100. The test showed a 2 to 7 percent decrease in power. But at maximum power (3,800 rpm) the fuels were nearly identical. At the engines lowest speed (1855 rpm) at full throttle under a heavier load there was a 13 percent increase in power. Another drawback of biodiesel is the effect it has on some engine seals. Biodiesel has very solvent like properties when it comes to natural rubber and soft plastics.

Because of this old fuel lines and some seals and gaskets may deteriorate after time in the presence of high concentrations of biodiesel. The only solution to this problem is to replace the old fuel lines and seals with new synthetic ones. The solvent effects of biodiesel can also be harmful to paint and exterior finishes and if it were spilled on any rubber engine parts it would have to be cleaned up immediately. The solvent affects can be seen inside the gas tank too. After long periods of time rings of rust and old diesel products attach to the inside of the tank and can be loosened by the biodiesel.

Another issue of biodiesel is engine warranty; most all manufacturing companies are on board with biodiesel and recognize it as a viable fuel. The biggest set back for Minnesotans with biodiesel is it's cold flow temperature. When temperatures near 32 F it forms small waxy crystals that coagulates. These larger particles then get clogged up in the fuel lines and filters. The only solution documented to solve this problem is freeze the biodiesel and filter out the crystal and save them for a warm day.

The resulting solution would be ok to use near 5 F, making it comparable to petrodiesel. This however would add another step in the process of production, a very expensive step. This separation process would also only leave you with 30 percent of your starting material. The problem of using additives is it will change the chemical formula of biodiesel and reduce its efficiency. It will also limit the time it can be stored without losing stability.

The greatest benefit of biodiesel is the reduction emission of toxic chemicals. Biodiesel has no sulfur or hydrocarbons. The absence off these carcinogens means it posses less of a health and environmental risk. Carbon Monoxide, a toxic product of combustion, is in the combustion of biodiesel. Research has shown carbon monoxide levels drop from 22% to 8% when using B 20 instead of petrodiesel.

Also biodiesel could be used to curb particulate matter, due to the high oxygen content biodiesel burns faster and more efficiently. A 20% blend of biodiesel would reduce particulate matter by 30%. Poly aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), large complex molecules of high molecular weights are also released from the combustion of diesel. The Southwest Institute of Research showed that these carcinogens had a 12% drop with the addition of 20% biodiesel. When testing B 100 they found a 74% decrease in the PAH concentration. The only toxic product produced from biodiesel is nitrous oxides, which is from the increase in oxygen.

Normally the NOx concentrations run 2-5 percent higher than that of petrodiesel. A lower NOx Concentration can be achieved through slowing down the fuel injection, but then there will be an increase in hydrocarbons. Due to the renew ability and production of biodiesel, the CO, CO 2 and other greenhouse gasses that are used by the by the soybeans to grow, would be the same amount as those emitted during combustion. So there would be now gain in harmful carcinogens to the atmosphere. According to a report released by the US Department of Agriculture the toxic chemicals from the combustion of biodiesel can be lowered even further by the development of genetically modified soybeans.

The trouble with this modification is that that the soybeans would be worth less on the open market, therefore the farmers would have to contract the harvest before it is even planted. A major supporting cause for biodiesel it the economic issue. Biodiesel bills have recently been introduced into the Minnesota House and Senate. The bills would require all diesel fuels sold in Minnesota to contain at least 2% biodiesel.

The amount of soybeans needed to produce this fuel creates a larger demand, 11 million bushels to be exact. Infact it would raise the price farmers get for their soybeans by approximately six cents per bushel. The demand would also generate an additional 11 million dollars to the rural Minnesota economy. It would use 16 million gallons of pure biodiesel.

The government mandation of biodiesel is a win win decision for Minnesota's urban air and rural economy. The only downside is the minimal price increase of a mere 15 cents per gallon. If biodiesel were to be mass-produced, it would spark more research and most likely lower the price. The only opposition to this new resource is multibillion-dollar oil industries that are holding this nation hostage with their price gouging techniques. If a mandated blend were passed it would send a message to the oil industry that they have competition and they would have to lower their prices.

Sadly there is only one way for these biodiesel blends to be passed; the public has to speak out. The oil industries are rich and have powerful friends in politics, Federal and State. If we were to mandate a larger blend such as 70%, we could eliminate the need for foreign oil. Some foreign countries we import oil from have so much money they end up paying their citizens a dividend. They pay no taxes and have no need for an army due to American influence.

If we eliminated the need for these financial sponges we could be the worlds only self-sufficient country. The biggest use for biodiesel is currently in buses. A study in Jefferson City Mo. Showed that kids who traveled to school in buses were exposed to four times as much toxic exhaust as those that traveled in cars. A 20% blend in the buses led to a 90% reduction in carcinogens on the inside of the buses. One bus driver from Phoenix who drives the handicapped bus ran on B 100 said she's really noticed the reduction of fumes emitted from the bus.

She also said her "kids weren't struggling to breath when she was unloading them on the lift."The tailpipes happen to be right there so you can see the kids' reactions to the diesel fumes-they just don't like it". In conclusion biodiesel is a renewable domestic fuel that will greatly reduce pollution immediately. It can be added directly to any existing diesel engine in any quantity. Also the support of the mandatory biodiesel blend in MN would lead to an annual reduction of Carbon Monoxide by 800,000 lbs, and particulates by 70,000 pounds. If the bill passes it will also mean a decrease in life cycle carbon dioxide emissions by 250 million pounds, which is enough to fill nearly 5,000 semi-trailers. Biodiesel is recognized as a registered fuel.

It is currently being used in school buses, transit buses, marine engines, agriculture, and aviation around the world. Legislation is being pushed in most Midwest and agricultural dominant states. National parks are also showing the need for an alterative fuel do to the increase traffic and tourism. Biodiesel has been researched, documented, and proven now it's time it gets implemented. Biodiesel is another opportunity to use the agricultural products we produce.